


"How did I get here? How do I leave?"

by CRUSHER_KNIGHT



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, sorry if this is bad my writing sucks, the archive warnings gotta change in later chapters keep that in mind
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:00:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24617242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CRUSHER_KNIGHT/pseuds/CRUSHER_KNIGHT
Summary: Hayden Foster was ignored by their parents for most of their life to the point where they felt invisible but one day after coming home from school an idea came to them... Why not run away from home and start a life of your own? So they did just that they packed up their things. No one ever saw them again.Now Hayden wakes up in an unfamiliar place they had no memory of what happened they would then find out that they are not the only one in this strange place.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. Prologue: Hayden Foster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> update: 6/19/2020 - the prologue was edited with errors and mistakes fixed by my friend ras

The school-bell rang as Hayden sat outside the principal's office. Their furrowed brow gaze was focused on the tile flooring as they tried to figure why they were there. They were quiet, did their work, and stayed out of conflict. Did something happen? Did they underestimate themself?

Hayden took their phone out from their bag and began texting their parents, explaining the situation at hand. They sighed before pressing send and stuffing it back into the pack. Their left knee bounced in tune to nothing as they continued to wait and only stopped at the sound of the door beside them opening.

"Thank you for your patience, Hayden,” Principal Kline said. “Please come in." Hayden slowly got up, hefting their bag over their shoulder as they stepped into the office. The atmosphere of the room felt...strange. It was the first time they had been in it and the oddly personal yet formal feeling clashed. They almost felt like they were invading somehow. They heard the door click behind them and stood rather awkwardly as they watched the principal cross the room. She stepped behind her desk and sat down before waving to the two chairs on the other side of her.

“Take a seat.”

Hayden did as instructed, the still air disturbed by the rustling as they sat down and placed their bag on their lap.

The principal leaned down and opened a metal drawer built within her desk, stuffed full with manila folders. Fingers walked across each file individually as she carefully looked for the one she was after. As she searched, Hayden glanced around the office. There was a shelf with books on them and of course a couple motivational posters on the wall. A degree in a fancy frame hung behind her and there were a few photos with what appeared to be students and family alike. There was even a student body picture with what they could only assume was the principal’s graduating high school class. Hayden's focus returned to the desk and read the engraved brass name plate: Principal Abigail Kline.

"I understand that yesterday during the third period you got into an altercation. Verbal to physical. Is that correct?" She asked as she pulled out a file and began spreading out the few papers inside.

"Uh...Y-Yes, but I can explain!” Hayden replied, eyebrows shooting upward. “You see these boys were picking on another classmate—"

"—and you felt the need to intervene." Principal Kline interrupted, her hands folding over the documents. Of course she would be well acquainted with such a case.

"Because no one else was helping them! The boys were using really harsh threats and I couldn't just sit there! I-I had to do something!" Hayden hated to see other people get harassed and tormented. After all, they had to deal with it in other schools growing up. The principal sighed.

"Well, I appreciate you standing up for others, Hayden, but you have to understand that you should have gone to a teacher first. Those are the rules and I know you know this well enough. Now, if I'm correct, you and those boys were sent to the guidance counselor after the fight, yes?"

Hayden didn't answer. The statement _“you should have gone to a teacher”_ bounced around in their head. It was all too familiar and almost made them flinch as their parents' voices overlapped that of Principal Kline’s. Detached from ongoings of Hayden’s school life, bullying was always their problem and never consulted by their parents. Like a shadow, they passed by unnoticed day in and day out. It made them wonder if their parents even responded to their text.

When Hayden didn't answer her, the principal shook her head. 

"Know that this is your first incident so I'm not gonna give you any harsh punishment, okay? But, due to the physical level in which it escalated, I still have to suspend you for a few days. Do you understand?"

"...Yes ma'am."

"Alright, good.” She took up a pen and scribbled something onto one of the papers. “I’m sorry to do this, Hayden, but every action we make in life has consequences. I hope you can learn from this one.” Setting the pen back down, she began to shuffle everything back into the folder. “Do you need me to call your parents to come and pick you up?" She glanced back up at them with a brow raised. Hayden simply stood up and slung their bag back over their shoulder, a muted expression resting on their face.

"No... I'm good. Thanks." With that, Hayden exited Principal Kline's office and made their way to the large double doors at the end of the hall. On the way, they took out their phone to see if their parents replied to their message. Nothing. Biting their lip, they scrolled their contacts and called their mom.

After what felt like a minute of unending ringing, Hayden gave up and pressed end. They paced a moment outside the school before trying their dad only to get the same result. Looked like they would be walking home.

It would be a long 2-hour journey, but they managed to get to the house safely. They walked up the porch stairs and opened the front door. Looking over to their right, they saw their parents talking to each other from the living room couch. It was like they didn't even hear Hayden come in. Or they didn’t care. With a sigh, they closed the door and walked up the stairs towards their room. They weren’t going to even attempt a conversation.

To someone looking in, it would appear as if Hayden were used to the invisible feeling. However, deep into their core it hurt more with every passing day. Every chance they took to try and make something of the fragile relationship they had with their parents was all for naught. It was enough to sting their eyes with tears. Not that they’d let them see.

Hayden sat down on the bed and covered their face, exhaling harshly. They remained there for some time, thoughts heavy and burdensome, before their arm flopped back to their side and their eyes shifted to look at a photo on their desk. It was a family photo from when Hayden was 5-years-old. Stood next to them were their parents, all smiles and joy so genuine it was easily the last time Hayden could say they remembered them being an actual family. Staring at it brought the water works and they had to look away and back at the ceiling before it became sniveling.

Did they really have to stay there? Was it really so hard for them to disappear and not even be an afterthought for days? Running away from home would be far too easy for them. A new life, a new place, miles away from home before anyone would take notice. Hell, the more they thought about it, the better it sounded.

They hopped up and unzipped their bag, tossing aside everything related to school and packing inside their valuables, money, and clothes. They could do it. What was there to lose? They grinned as they pictured the adventures to be had, the plans to be made along the way. Their heart would race with newfound wanderlust. Opening the window, they judged the distance and figured they could easily make the jump. Sure, they didn’t have to, but it made the experience all that more exciting. However, before they could even stick one leg outside the frame, they glanced back at the photo. There was hesitation, but in the end they grabbed it and stuffed into their pack as well. It would be worth it to keep a good memory on the road.

They took in a breath and hopped down, giving a small yelp as the impact travelled up their spine and they dropped to their hands and knees. They would have to get better at that if they were going to commit to their plan. Brushing the grass off their pants and palms, Hayden took a deep breath and ran off towards the forest. They wouldn’t look back.

It would be the last time anyone would see them.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> update 7/5/2020: edits and fixes were done by my friend ras (thank you! :3)

Hayden’s eyes fluttered open.

Everything spun and they closed them again, gripping their stomach as it rolled with the feeling. Their entire body ached down to the joints in their fingers and toes and a hammer felt although it were being taken to their head. If someone told them they were recovering from the flu, they would be inclined to believe them. They moaned weakly and swallowed to wet their parched throat, only to find their mouth dry as well. Did they pass out with their mouth open?

Pass out….

When did they pass out?

Opening their eyes again, they rolled over before they could start heaving with motion sickness. Their palms rested against the cool grass, giving them an anchor to bring their mind away from their upset insides, and they pushed themself into a sitting position. It was dark, that much was true. Dark and cold. They blinked, focusing their eyes and finding shapes in the form of a thick cropping of trees in front of them. Surely they weren’t still in the forests near their house, were they? They don’t remember it being _that_ deep.

The more they tried to rattle their brain for an answer, the quicker they came to a conclusion: they had no memory of how they got there at all.

“What the hell?” Hayden muttered, voice laden by restless sleep. As their vision became clear, more details came to light; some by the glow of the campfire nearby. It crackled and burned rather intensely for its size, but the heat did not reach them from their place just on the edge of its illuminated embrace. The darkness outside it appeared suffocating and it sent a chill down Hayden’s spine. It pressed against the light as if it were a living thing, evil by nature, and a deep fog curled around the branches and roots of the dead trees that they could make out. These were not the woods they knew. Where were they?

A hand came down on their shoulder.

“Jesus Christ, no!” Hayden yelped, flinging their body forward. Half asleep legs would struggle to find footing and hold their weight, but the adrenaline would kick in just enough for them to gather some weak flight or fight stance as they spun around to see who had touched them.

Stood there with hands up in a surrender was a man. His clothes were disheveled with a wrinkled white button up, loosened striped tie, and dark gray slacks. Glasses sat low on the bridge of his nose and behind them were eyes that seemed just as startled as Hayden’s own.

“I’m sorry!” He said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” Hayden looked the man up and down, placing a foot in the direction of the forest in case they had to run. Easy cover in case of an attack. Their breath began to regulate itself and return to normal, but their heart continued to beat like mad.

“Who are you?” They asked. They could’ve flinched at the harshness in their tone. The man did instead.

“Dwight,” he replied. “Dwight Fairfield.” In a slow, deliberate manner, he pushed his glasses up. “I promise I’m not going to hurt you.”

“That’s what a killer would say right before stabbing you in the back.”

Dwight cracked a smile and almost seemed pained by the statement. Hayden closed their hands into fists.

“True, but I couldn’t hurt you if I tried,” he said.

Hayden felt a brow raise and they looked at Dwight with a perplexed expression. What was that supposed to mean? That he didn’t have the physical prowess for a fight? That it was against his morals? That they overestimated Hayden’s ability to hold their own? It dulled the edge in the situation somewhat and they found themself relaxing just enough to seem approachable, yet aware.

“The name is Hayden Foster,” they stated. Dwight nodded, visibly pleased to gain some level of trust, and then stuck out a hand. They stared at it for a moment, eyes flicking between it and the man’s face before slowly taking it with every intent on jerking it back if the grip became a vice. That didn’t happen. Instead, it was firm and polite, a formal greeting that broke after two shakes.

“Nice to meet you, Hayden.” Dwight’s smile flipped a switch and was genuine and warm as if they had already become friends. Hayden tried to match it, but faltered when the hairs on the back of their neck started to rise. They quickly diverted their attention to the forests behind them, glancing around and expecting to find a presence that was staring back. There was malice, despair, ill-intent brewing beyond the treeline and it struck cold fear deep within their core by the sheer fact that they could gather all that from simple intuition. They weren’t alone.

“Ah, you feel it too,” Dwight said, looking over Hayden’s shoulder as they faced him again. “We all do.”

“ _We?_ ”

Dwight nodded once more.

“There are 23 of us here,” he explained, his tone somber. “No idea what _here_ is or how we got to this place, but it’s purpose….” He paused. His body language became uncomfortable and he started shifting back and forth on his feet as he rubbed one arm. “Well, let’s not get into that just yet. You just got here and no amount of explaining will make it easier to understand.”

Hayden continued to stare intently as if that could force the answers out of him. Their unease brought goosebumps, they would swallow at a lump forming in their throat, but none of it seemed to bring out any empathy from the man before them. Instead he continued to the next subject on his mind.

“Would you like to meet the others?” He asked. “Or, well, some of them.” Hayden blinked. Their gut told them to comply with the company although it was ahead of whatever game was going on. Connections. It wanted connections. They were alone, after all. There could be benefits until they figure out what the hell was up. Certainly there were others in their same position. They exhaled heavily and dropped the tension in their shoulders.

“Sure,” they replied. “That...that sounds like a plan.”

The start of one, at the very least.

A welcomed start.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit 7/8/2020: because of an idea that was suggested i had to edit this chapter so meg can take jeff's place in the chapter (dont worry though jeff will appear later in the story also i wanna apologize if i got megs hair color wrong i couldn't really tell if it was blonde or orange)

When Hayden first woke up at the campsite they thought they were alone. From the outskirts, beyond the glow of the campfire, they had the feeling that something was watching them. However, before they could investigate, they met someone: Dwight Fairfield.

Hayden wasn't quite sure what to think of Dwight. He seemed like a nice guy, but because of the uneasy feelings the place gave Hayden wasn't really sure if Dwight could be trusted. Only time would tell.

"Dwight!" A female voice shouted. Dwight and Hayden looked in the direction of a girl with blue-colored glasses, a beige and pink colored button up, and jeans as she ran over to them. Dwight smiled when he saw her.

"Just in time! Hayden, this is Claudette," Dwight nudged them towards her. She gave Hayden a smile.

"Hi there," She greeted. Unlike when they met Dwight, they felt a calm presence around Claudette. It eased the foreboding aura from earlier and soothed their nerves. A sense of safety in numbers, they supposed. Claudette turned back to Dwight.

"Can I talk to you about something?" She asked. Not wanting their conversation to feel awkward with them standing there, Hayden wandered around to see if they could find any others. They stopped when they noticed someone sitting on the ground staring at the campfire.

She had an orange-colored french braids hairstyle this girl also seemed to wore a sports top along with some sports leggings. Hayden cautiously sat down next to her.

"Hello there," Hayden said. Their tone was understandably nervous, but they did want to make friends. Upon hearing Hayden's voice, the girl seemed to snap back to reality and looked over at them. She turned her head to face Hayden.

"Let me guess you new?"

Hayden blinked. They still didn't know much about where they were or why for that matter, so the question took them off guard. It had implications that wracked Hayden's brain and fired up new anxieties. They swallowed hard, trying to figure out an answer, until Meg rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Yep, you're new. My name's Meg, Meg Thomas." She held out her hand and Hayden hesitated a moment before taking it. They weren't used to shaking hands yet, but at least that time they felt comfortable. The two smiled, albeit somewhat weakly, before looking back into the campfire.

They didn't say anything to break the silence that followed. They just kept staring at the rolling flames as if waiting for something to happen.

Then the feeling came back.

Hayden froze up. Something outside the pressing darkness was watching them, had to be, but _what_ exactly?

Meg glanced over at Hayden. In the corner of their eye, they could tell she was concerned by the stiff posture they held. Looking back, Hayden scanned the treeline. Naked, but certainly not empty. Someone, something, was out there. Curiosity was tempting and they considered approaching the forest before Meg's voice cut through to them.

"You okay?" she asked. Hayden remained quiet for time before replying.

"Yeah....I'm fine." However, they looked back at Meg with uncertainty. "It's just...I keep getting this strange feeling that I'm being watched."

"Ah I see," she nodded. "Don't worry. Some of us have also felt it." Meg placed her hand on Hayden's shoulder.

Their attention shifted to Dwight and Claudette as they continued their conversation, but Hayden couldn't make out the words. They would strain to listen just as it wrapped up and the pair approached the other two.

"Guessing we're ready?" Meg asked as she stood up. Dwight nodded as he took from his pocket a rather tarnished coin. "Claudette wanted to save the offerings she had for another time. Do you have any items you wanna bring along Meg?"

"Just a toolbox," she answered, picking up the metal box at her feet.

"I'm sure that will be enough to help us during the trial," Claudette said with a small smile.

Hayden stood up and looked over the group with a clear lack of understanding. Dwight caught their eye and sighed.

"Look, I know that you're confused about what's going on," He assured. "But for right now I'm gonna have to ask you to stay calm." With that, he threw the coin into the fire and Hayden watched as it burned immediately. The ashes bellowed upwards before fading, leaving nothing but an impending sense of doom that settled into their gut.

Dwight stared at Hayden with a mixture of empathy and solitude. They could not place the expression themself, but the others knew it. To Hayden, it was a reason to be concerned. They took a deep breath and closed their eyes. They had to prepare for what they did not know and what they could never imagine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna give a special thanks to my friend Ras (Zyphlid) for helping out with the final edits! He's gonna edit the previous chapters soon so I'm really greatful to have him help me out :'3


End file.
